Forum Members Official "Should I Retake?" Thread

[QofQuimica]

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EDIT 12/21/18: This thread is being retired, as the majority of posts (>80 pages) pertain to the old MCAT that is no longer relevant to current applicants. You can find the current "Should I Retake" thread here: Forum Members - Should I Retake the MCAT?

For those of you who are trying to figure out whether you should re-take, this is the thread for you. Post your dilemma here if you want advice from other SDN folks. Please note that you should take the opinions you get from SDN as one source of advice; you would be wise to also consult your premed advisor before making this decision. Here is my personal advice for those considering whether to re-take:

Definitely DO retake:

-if you scored below a 24. Some allopathic schools will screen out students with scores lower than 24, which is about the mean score for all test-takers.
-if you had some kind of major problem during the test that affected your performance (ex. you started puking or running a 102 degree temperature)
-if you took the test without completing the four pre-reqs (one year each of biology, chemistry, physics, and organic) and/or without studying for it
-if you left large numbers of questions blank​

Definitely do NOT retake:

-if you scored a 30 or better, especially if all of your individual section scores were an 8 or better
-if your section subscores (the numerical ones) are all good, but you didn't perform well on the writing section (the letter score)

​

Gray area-it's not obvious what to do:

-if you scored 30+ but with one section below an 8
-if you had some minor nuisances (ex. a noisy test room) during the test and you're not sure if it affected your performance
-if you studied thoroughly for the test and you scored within the range of your practice exams, but your score is in the middle range (24-29)​

 

[Omni]

.

 

[jyoudan]

Hi SN2ed,

thanks for replying to all of us hopelessly confused.

just got my score in, first time taking the MCAT.
PS 11, VR 8, BS 11, WS: R , Overall 30R

GPA: Overall 3.8, BCPM 3.65

I do research, run a neuroscience educational program, and have good LORs but am a bit weak on volunteering/clinical. i hope i can fit that in this year by shadowing.

Anyway, not too bad of a score, but I would really like to go to NJMDS or VCU and in not from either of those states. Do you or anyone else know of what a comparable score is for OOS students matriculating at those schools? Or whether I should just take the test again regardless? My practice exams were reaching 32/33 by the time the exam came up.

Thanks!

 

[Baller MD]

Kanye West: Your GPA is quite low for medical schools and especially low for the schools listed. If your GPA has a strong upward trend, you might be okay for some medical schools. Overall, your stuck with a tough choice of raising your MCAT to a 35+ or completing post-bac work to bring up your GPA.

I respectfully but strongly disagree with that statement.

 

[SN2ed]

I respectfully but strongly disagree with that statement.

For most of the schools the poster is interested in (Stanford, Harvard, Johns Hopkins, UCSF, USC, UCLA, UCSD, UCI), I think the numbers have to be there. If the poster really doesn't mind any school like he (?) mentioned, then those stats may be okay. Still, the GPA is on the low side, though as I said, that can be solved with an upward trend in GPA (for instance doing well in the poster's junior and senior year which has the benefits of an upward trend while possibly bringing the GPA to 3.7+). Overall, the GPA is on the low side for now and the MCAT is fine when considering all schools.

I'll update my recommendations because upon reading what I and OP wrote, you're right.



Might as well answer some of the other posts now instead of letting them pile up again.

Crazypencil: Unfortunately, a 6 is far too low a score in any section for US medical schools. I suggest you retake.

PCSki: Being a Maryland resident is pretty tough since there are only two medical schools if you're not considering serving the military as a doctor. I think your chances for University of Maryland are decent since they heavily favor in-state residents. When you throw in the DC schools such as Howard and GW, your chances go up some. Now when you look at all schools, you stand a decent shot at getting into a lower to mid tier medical school.

Scrubs920: You will have to retake for US medical schools. The 6 is too low for the majority of the schools, if not all of them. When you retake, make sure your practice scores on NEW practice tests are within range.

Eponymous: There's no reason for you to retake.

StandUp8: Yes, your GPA is low; however, you also showed a strong upward trend with your post-bac work. Taking that into consideration, your GPA is okay, though you will probably have to explain your poor initial performance. On the MCAT front, you're okay here as well. Simply apply broadly and you stand a decent chance.

Omni: Your GPA is solid and your MCAT is okay. Make sure you articulate your ECs well to make you stand out. I think they will be the key to you getting in. Depending on your state schools, you may have a great chance or an okay one. The variance between in-state schools is too high to tell.

jyoudan: If by NJMDS you mean University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, you stand no chance at all without being a resident. Their preference to in-state residents is extremely high. For VCU, you have a good chance with more clinical experience. Let me take this time to stress that it clinical experience for ANY applicant is a must. It may not be an official requirement, but you should take it as such. Overall, get some more clinical experience and apply to lower and some mid tier schools.

 

[redpanda]

On the CBT practice, I was averaging around 34-37, including 10-12V.

PS: 12, VR: 9, BS:12, WS: T = 33T

Cum GPA: 3.98
Science GPA: 4.00

Biomedical engineering grad from well-respected public flagship school, 2 years research, undergrad honors thesis, conference presentation on research, hospital volunteer work ~350 hrs.

Currently working in the pharmaceutical research industry.

I'm not really sure what to think about that verbal. To me it seems rather unbalanced with the other sections, but with that section having such a steep grading curve, it seems chancy to try to bump it up to match the others. On the other hand, I would like to be competitive at top-tier schools. Retake or no?

Thanks all!

 

[SN2ed]

On the CBT practice, I was averaging around 34-37, including 10-12V.

PS: 12, VR: 9, BS:12, WS: T = 33T

Cum GPA: 3.98
Science GPA: 4.00

Biomedical engineering grad from well-respected public flagship school, 2 years research, undergrad honors thesis, conference presentation on research, hospital volunteer work ~350 hrs.

Currently working in the pharmaceutical research industry.

I'm not really sure what to think about that verbal. To me it seems rather unbalanced with the other sections, but with that section having such a steep grading curve, it seems chancy to try to bump it up to match the others. On the other hand, I would like to be competitive at top-tier schools. Retake or no?

Thanks all!

That's a big NO unless you won't settle for anything other than top tier schools which isn't a good idea.

 

[moutaineuron]

Physical sciences: 9
Verbal: 10
Bio: 11

I know everyone says a 30 will get you in SOMEWHERE but I don't want to go to some really low ranked medical school. I'm not looking for a top ranked one either. But can a 3.75 gpa and 30 MCAT allow one to get into a decent med school?

 

[ezsanche]

I am a junior at a UC school. I took the MCAT on 8/21/09 with a score of
VR 13
PS 12
BS 11
WS S
for a total of 36S. I do not plan to retake the MCAT.
I have a GPA of 3.89 cum. and 3.91 in science. No clinical experience. Just a lot of volunteering and RA. Will do some research this year and apply next year. I planned to apply to
UCSF
Stanford
UCLA
USC
UCI
UCSD
Baylor
Harvard
Columbia
John Hopkins
UCLA is my top choice. USC and UCI is back up. Do I need more research experience (this year included)? Have any one used a consultant for their application? If you did, is that helpful? Thanks in advance for all your answers.

You're a dummy! The name suits you.

 

[jyoudan]

jyoudan: If by NJMDS you mean University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, you stand no chance at all without being a resident. Their preference to in-state residents is extremely high. For VCU, you have a good chance with more clinical experience. Let me take this time to stress that it clinical experience for ANY applicant is a must. It may not be an official requirement, but you should take it as such. Overall, get some more clinical experience and apply to lower and some mid tier schools.

I was hoping to work at NJMDS for a year while I applied if that helped me at all. But otherwise, do you think a 30R is good enough to not retake for schools such as VCU?

 

[ezsanche]

^^^^ What are your subscores?

 

[fullofair]

first post on SDN and here it goes...

5/28/09 - 8V 11P 10B = 29Q
9/4/04 - 7V 14P 12B = 33O

Took 6 AAMCs. Average 33.5, but lowest verbal was a 9. I did well in my sciences on 9/4 but completely choked on verbal.

Currently a MA resident. Graduated from a top 20 private school 2 years ago with a 3.55cGPA and 3.45sGPA and an upward trend. Started at a 3.2 freshman year and ended at a 3.8 in senior year. Excellent recommendations... or so my writers tell me

Have been doing basic science research at Harvard Med School/Brigham and Women's Hospital for 2 years with a publication in a high impact journal (second author) and several posters.

Over 100 hours volunteering/assisting in the ER. Another 100 hours shadowing in the ICU, pulmonary clinic, radiology...

Founded a non-profit humanitarian organization and did a lot with it for last three years of college. A couple of humanitarian awards and several other activities.

To wrap it up, that 7 in verbal is horrible... the question is how much is it going to hurt me. Is there no chance with a 7 despite my solid science and decent overall score? Should I retake to get it to a 9-10 but risk the drop in my sciences? I really don't want to re-take this, but if I have to...

I already completed my apps for this cycle and applied broadly to 15 schools, but just in case, I'm thinking about preparing for next year. Finally, I'm not a native speaker. Grew up in 4 non-English speaking countries before moving to the US at 13 years old.

 

[SN2ed]

I was hoping to work at NJMDS for a year while I applied if that helped me at all. But otherwise, do you think a 30R is good enough to not retake for schools such as VCU?

You have to be a resident of New Jersey to have a chance at NJMDS. That's the only way. As a I previously mentioned, "For VCU, you have a good chance with more clinical experience."

 

[Equality]

Dropped in to see what's up:

I'm a Verbal Instructor for the Princeton Review, and the best advice I can give to low-scoring Verbal students is this: DO NOT DO ALL SEVEN PASSAGES unless you're scoring already 12 or 13 and want to get a 14 or 15. YOU'LL BE FINE DOING SIX passages to get 10 or 11, which are solid scores. Of course you'll have to fill in the blanks for the one passage you're not doing, but do not even attempt to read the passage that you deem too difficult (read just enough to decide on the difficulty).

Word on people banking on Jan 2010 test: I don't know of any US MD schools that will take Jan 2010 score for 2010 matriculation. I could be wrong, but if you take that test, you're just better off applying next year.

A little bit of personal story: I got 28O the first time I took MCAT (Jun 2008) and decided that was not good enough to apply for 2008-09 cycle. I didn't have time to re-study and improve my score significantly that summer, so I retook it in Jan 2009 and am applying now. I have gotten interviews from Hopkins, Penn, and Wash U. Moral of the story:
1) If you have sub-30 score and you're not URM, you better re-take it after significantly changing your studying habits (I took Princeton Review classroom course).
2) Retake knowing you'll do superbly better than the first time (i.e. more than 5 point increase)
3) Applying later with a better score is so much better than applying now with a low score.

 

[brandnew1]

Stats are: 33R (12P, 11V, 10B), 3.9 sGPA and 3.9 cGPA.
Couple of years of research (no publications yet, but keeping my finger crossed on that front), shadowed several doctors, plan on studying abroad in the spring/part of the summer and lots of hours volunteering at hospitals. In other words, the stuff that the average pre-med student does, nothing spectacular.

Was looking to apply to top 20-ish midwestern schools but after checking out the most recent MSAR spreadsheet, the schools that I was most interested in (Ohio State, Pitt, Pritzker, and a few others) had averages right around 35, so with my 33 plus me being OOS for all of those...well it's left me a little dejected. I was averaging 35-36 over my last four AAMCs so I know that I have the potential to hit that mark, however I understand that a 33 is a solid score and I'm going to have a hard time justifying retaking that.

Given the schools I am most interested in, would it be wise to retake? (for the record, I am applying next cycle)

 

[Slack3r]

Already posted in "WAMC" forums, but why not more opinions...

Studied for 3 weeks, took the test, just got my results: 31S (12 BR, 12 VR, 7 PS).

I'm in the middle of an upward trend with a 3.74 for junior year, with a 4.0 last semester, although my first 2 years were awful (3.17 and 2.96 freshman and sophomore year, respectively). My low grades were due to (mainly) self-inflicted circumstances and I plan to address it in my PS. I hope to continue my upward climb through the remainder of my senior year. My cGPA by application time should be ~3.5 with a slightly lower sGPA.

I have shadowing with several different surgeons, volunteering, and some pretty unique ECs (although they're more like hobbies than actual formal activities). No research though, I don't care for it.

I will be a CA resident hoping for UCI (#1 choice) or USC/UCD. They're long shots but I can hope. I'll also apply to mid-tier schools in the Northeast.

I'm thinking I retake in January after studying my physics more (by far my worst subject). Any thoughts?

 

[Crisoneogenesis]

😀Hey All!

Im applying with a 28Q and GPA: 3.84

PS: 9
VR:9
BS: 10

Do you guys think im going to get any MD love? Applied to : (Penn State, Jefferson, Drexel, Temple, Gerorge Washington, G-Town, Penn (reach...ahem...big reach), Commonwealth, Maryland, Pitt)

Thanks for you input and best of luck to everyone this cycle. 👍👍

 

[NoleDoc]

How long does it usually take for your scores to expire? That being said, will schools have access to your scores and could they still apply it to your application?

 

[NoleDoc]

My Scores:

09/04/2009 VR:5 PS: 08 BS: 08 Total: 21M
08/05/2008 VR:5 PS: 06 BS: 09 Total: 20M

3.32 undergrad GPA

Granted, I know I have to retake. However, should I wait till these scores expire? Use the time to go into a Postbacc, SMP, or Ph.D. program. If so, which of the three would be best for me?

 

[jyoudan]

^^^^ What are your subscores?

PS 11, VR 8, BS, 11

I guess Im not sure which schools I should be looking at based off this score. 🙁

 

[jyoudan]

You have to be a resident of New Jersey to have a chance at NJMDS. That's the only way. As a I previously mentioned, "For VCU, you have a good chance with more clinical experience."

Alright, thank you for your advice. I appreciate you taking your time to respond to my questions.

 

[fatalerror]

9-PS, 11-V, 10B, Q

Mediocre GPA though overall (well, last few years were high, but overall still not that great).

I should probably retake, I don't think I could get into anywhere decent as an OOS.

 

[mic43]

I got a 9PS 11VR 10BS 30Q overall (GPA is 3.64, 3.58sci)
plenty of research, 100s hrs volunteering, shadowing, etc

Im a new york resident and really want to go to a state school like upstate, downstate, buffalo, or stony brook

what are my chances if i apply this year to those schools rather than retake or stick to DOs?

 

[fatalerror]

I got a 9PS 11VR 10BS 30Q overall (GPA is 3.64, 3.58sci)
plenty of research, 100s hrs volunteering, shadowing, etc

Im a new york resident and really want to go to a state school like upstate, downstate, buffalo, or stony brook

what are my chances if i apply this year rather than retake?

Hehe, same exact score, guess I have the same question. But I can't stand on this, I'll probably try again.

 

[rogi16012]

hey everyone

9VR 12PS 11BS M for a total of 32M (worried about the M)
I have a 3.667 gpa and trying to bring it up to 3.7, lots of extra currics as well. I know it's not that bad but I was really hoping to get into a medical school in California, do I have any chance?
Thanks.

 

[duckgirl24]

3.9 gpa as a psychology major (science gpa is 3.9+ not quite sure what because of post-bac classes).

MCAT 29Q - 11PS, 9 VS, 9 BS.

I don't have much experience yet but am taking a year off to go volunteer at a hospital abroad before applying, then working in a hospital back home in the US for the year in between applying and matriculation. I can't decide if I should retake the MCAT. I don't want top 10 schools but I really don't know what my chances are in other ones (especially since I'm a social sciences major and got a 9 in BS). Any thoughts would be very helpful. Thanks! 🙂

 

[cluelessnoob]

Hi all, what are my chances of getting into a UC school (UCI, UCSD, UCLA, UCD) and USC with a sGPA 3.91, cGPA 3.85, mcat score 31R (11 PS, 8 VR, 12 BS). I'm worried about the VR being too low. I have average EC's.
-Will have 300 hours of working in the hospital
-Will have worked in a lab for 2 years, possibly getting published
-Volunteered abroad in Taiwan teaching kids English as well as helping out in the floods that occurred this past summer
-Shadowed a physician

Your input is greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

[misslala]

hi all i just got my scores back and very frustrated
i got 9VR 9PS 11 Bio, 29S
my gpa is 3.8 and im a cali resident
almost 1 yr of research, 200hr volunteering
i hope to get into allopatric school, should i retake?
my AAMC scores ranged from 28-35
thank you all for the advice

 

[vap]

hey,

i got my scores back 32R 😕 (13 8 11 R). Im a CA resident as well and am wondering if this is good enough. I know im not going for the ivies or top tier skools or anything but do i have a chance realistically at a legit MD skool. As far as activities go, its the standard stuff, (volunteering, tutoring, decent gpa 3.7ish, etc.)

 

[Lazlow]

I got a 33Q (11 PS / 10 VR / 12 BS). My AAMC avg was a 36.2 and my lowest AAMC score was 34. I have a 3.61 GPA which should be closer to ~3.7 by the time I apply. My MCAT is lower than my AAMC avg by 3 points, and I feel like I have the potential to do better, yet on the other hand, a 33 is nothing to cry about. Should I retake?

 

[munchymanRX]

Should I take it again? From the criteria stickied above, my score isn't all that bad, but relative to my GPA it's pretty awful-what do I do?

11BS
9PS
10VR

total: 30Q

Cum GPA: 3.23
BPCM GPA: 2.9 (horrendous, I know...I'm trying to bring it up this year) =(

 

[legoman163]

I just took the MCAT and got a 27q. I got an 11 in verbal, 10 in bio, and 6 in physical sciences. I was wondering if the 6 would affect me a lot for DO schools and lower tier medical schools. Specifically, I wanted to apply to western university DO school in california.

 

[Tennisgrl]

Do the adcoms look negatively at your application if you retake the test more than once?

 

[crazymedgirl]

Hi, hoping someone can advise--

took the 9/10 test (first time taking) and got a 34Q, would be thrilled except for the extremely lopsided breakdown: 13 VR, 12 PS, 9 BS.

I'm especially irritated cuz i'm a Bio major, with A's in all advanced Bios, although this may work in my favor.....?

My GPA is around a 3.8, average ECs, pretty good LORs with a few excellent ones. Lots of research, no publications, will have great letters from PIs.

Should I force myself to retake in Jan? I feel that the most likely scenario is I'll go down in the other sections, even if I go up slightly in BS...

I'd really appreciate anyone's ideas. Oh--and I'm definitely not planning on limiting myself to top tier schools, although I"m thinking about applying to a few top schools like Columbia and Mount Sinai.

 

[munchymanRX]

Hi, hoping someone can advise--

took the 9/10 test (first time taking) and got a 34Q, would be thrilled except for the extremely lopsided breakdown: 13 VR, 12 PS, 9 BS.

I'm especially irritated cuz i'm a Bio major, with A's in all advanced Bios, although this may work in my favor.....?

My GPA is around a 3.8, average ECs, pretty good LORs with a few excellent ones. Lots of research, no publications, will have great letters from PIs.

Should I force myself to retake in Jan? I feel that the most likely scenario is I'll go down in the other sections, even if I go up slightly in BS...

I'd really appreciate anyone's ideas. Oh--and I'm definitely not planning on limiting myself to top tier schools, although I"m thinking about applying to a few top schools like Columbia and Mount Sinai.

You'd probably be fine. a 34 is not bad enough to warrant a retake unless your GPA is really in the tank. Your stats are definitely competitive enough to apply, and you should! Rest assured, I think you're going to get into a great place. Anything else MCAT-related you do beyond this point is for peace of mind and not much else...why not take the $250 bucks and apply to a couple more schools?

 

[gringottsgobin]

Hi, I'm a 3rd year at UCSD and I just recently took the MCAT for the first time on the 9/10/09 test date. I got a 30R with a 10 in everything. I don't know if I should stand pat and try to apply with this score, but a few ppl are trying to push me into retaking it again this summer. The trouble is, my GPA is in the tank (like 3.3) and I really need to work hard to bring it back up. Should I commit time to prepare for it and retake it? (Btw...do schools look at the latest score, or the best score?) Thanks, if someone replies.

 

[koolkat2011]

Hmmmmmmmm,

I'm not sure either. I'm going to apply to med school this June (I think), and I recently took the September date. I made a 13 PS, 10 VR, 13 BS, writing =Q, and I'm not sure whether or not I should retake it. I would study over winter break and take in in Jan or Feb. I just feel that to be really competitive at some of the top schools, I could have scored higher. My grades/ activities are good. i just don't know if it's worth the opportunity cost to take again. But I feel like i can do better on the VR. I would put in some blood, sweat, and tears. I didn't do so poorly in VR, even on the practice tests.
Please don't be mean--I'm not unhappy with my score, but I kinda feel like I could do better.

Thanks in advance for your advice! 🙂

 

[munchymanRX]

Hmmmmmmmm,

I'm not sure either. I'm going to apply to med school this June (I think), and I recently took the September date. I made a 13 PS, 10 VR, 13 BS, writing =Q, and I'm not sure whether or not I should retake it. I would study over winter break and take in in Jan or Feb. I just feel that to be really competitive at some of the top schools, I could have scored higher. My grades/ activities are good. i just don't know if it's worth the opportunity cost to take again. But I feel like i can do better on the VR. I would put in some blood, sweat, and tears. I didn't do so poorly in VR, even on the practice tests.
Please don't be mean--I'm not unhappy with my score, but I kinda feel like I could do better.

Thanks in advance for your advice! 🙂

Take a deep breath. You're fine. Your 36 Q will put you in the running for many top schools, especially if your GPA is competitive. By far the better choice at this point would be not to stress about it any longer, concentrate on the classes you have left (if you have any left), and write some really strong applications. You're on your way to medical school!

 

[FutureDoctor015]

VR 6
PS 12
BS 11

Total: 29Q

I know I MUST retake because of that VR score, but I just wanted everyone else's opinion. Also, I need advice on how to retain my BS/PS knowledge until January so I don't start tanking in those (took my the whole summer to get those scores in the sciences!).

For those of you who have classes while studying, how do you balance that with studying for the MCAT (i.e. study during the nights and weekends and not on midterm weeks? or what is your method?).

Lastly, what does a "Q" mean in words of a writing score? Is that like: you can write well, but use better examples? or what?

 

[Aizhu]

Alright first post here! This is my first MCAT btw.

cGPA: 3.78
sGPA: I don't know since I am applying next year

VR: 9
PS: 14
BS: 11
Writing: O
========
Total: 34O

My low VR and writing bothers me... don't know if I should retake.

 

[CALMEDPLEASE]

I know this is probably obvious that I need to take it again but I wanted more opinions

First time: 11B 10P 9V
Second Time: 12B 11P 8V

I hope to focus intensely on the verbal section this time around because i didn't do that the last two times. So should i retake???? My gpa is a 3.5 overall and 3.6 Science. And I wish to get into a California med school.

 

[b2sun]

i took a crapload of sleeping pills the day before the exam and still wasnt able to fall asleep, and they all kicked in as i took the test and i ended up almost falling asleep and ending up with a 36P. Im sure i can get around a 40-42 if i retook. Assuming that i WOULD get that, is there a reason to retake?

 

[writergirl333]

I got a 10/10/10/R.. have a 3.9 gpa in science and 3.8 overall... seems like I won't be very competitive.. have done lots of extra curiculars (competitive basketball, coaching, leadership, theatre.. but think I should probably redo the mcat

 

[kmd34]

If you have high GPA and lot of EC, you have little chance at low tier schools. Add lot of low tier schools.

VR 6
PS 12
BS 11

Total: 29Q

I know I MUST retake because of that VR score, but I just wanted everyone else's opinion. Also, I need advice on how to retain my BS/PS knowledge until January so I don't start tanking in those (took my the whole summer to get those scores in the sciences!).

For those of you who have classes while studying, how do you balance that with studying for the MCAT (i.e. study during the nights and weekends and not on midterm weeks? or what is your method?).

Lastly, what does a "Q" mean in words of a writing score? Is that like: you can write well, but use better examples? or what?

 

[crestfall]

i got a 29Q and i need to retake. Im in the application cycle right now. I know I can not retake and use the score this cycle. I am planning on re-applying next cycle. question is

when can i retake? can i retake before i am officially rejected from every school i have applied to?. i do not wanna spend money re-applying until i know i got a good mcat score and i wanna be able to apply early next cycle.

i might not get completely rejected till march and i dont want to wait that long to retake. I searched for an answer and didnt find much. i dont think this is a good question to ask to the schools while i am still being considered for a interview. but i also know they are the ones who would have the best anwer.

AHHH!! i hate this process

 

[DoctorKazefa]

i took a crapload of sleeping pills the day before the exam and still wasnt able to fall asleep, and they all kicked in as i took the test and i ended up almost falling asleep and ending up with a 36P. Im sure i can get around a 40-42 if i retook. Assuming that i WOULD get that, is there a reason to retake?

Hahahah I read this and couldn't stop laughing. It's like that story I read about the guy who smacked his head on the stair railing and then threw up in the bathroom right before taking his SAT and scoring a 2380.

But anyway, no. Don't retake it. First of all, retaking a 36 just reeks of arrogance and it sort of conveys that to the admissions council (whether or not you score higher). That's a very bad thing. Second of all, a 36 is an amazing score that - with a nice GPA - gives you a superb chance anywhere. Well done! 😀

 

[zetabetazeta]

Ahh, I kind of have the problem of deciding if I should retake the test.

Total: 29

Verbal: 7
PS: 12
BS: 10

I'm just starting my Junior year, so I guess if I want to retake it, I still have a lot of time. But I don't know 🙁
Btw, my current GPA is 3.95.
Help!

 

[zetabetazeta]

By the way, my EC is not that great.
I only have like 100 hours hospital volunteer service. And worked as a medical assistant for one summer, Joined a few clubs and used to be an officer of one of those clubs (3 clubs). And now i'm doing research in a neuroscience lab.
I 've worked almost two years in my college as a librarian, that's why I wasn't able to do something else =(

Do I get a shot?

 

[keregg228]

I took the MCAT with 2-3 days of half hearted studying (I was messed up from vicodin, post op from a shoulder procedure). I got a 29 cum, 10 bio 10 ps 9 verbal. I read the average person studies 2-3 months, and the average score is a 24. I know I got some physics and orgo questions wrong bc I haven't taken those classes in 5-6 years(AP classes and summer after HS) . I'm applying to DO schools only. My undergraduate GPA is a 3.2 (very heavy on upper level science courses. Worked 40-100 hours a wk during school=bad GPA) but I have begun a respiratory therapy program and am maintaining a 3.98 (one A- in a one credit course). I also start a MPH program in January (through an osteopathic medical school). I am applying this year, actually today (yes i know its late, a year of my life is worth the money to apply). I have a lot of healthcare experience, good LOR and decent other EC's. A 29 should be fine, but I know if I put some time into it I can improve my score 3-6 points (mostly in the sciences). Do you think its worth it to retake (yes I will study this time)?

 

[chutzpah]

Total: 29O

Verbal: 8
PS: 11
BS: 10

GPA: 3.71 sGPA: 3.65
Research: 2nd author paper in pretty high impact journal (and another paper that is going to be published within 4-6 months), did research every semester since starting college (~3 years), did research for two summers at Yale SOM.
EC: Some leadership positions, minimal volunteering, some shadowing.
LORS: Two really strong LORs
I was averaging anywhere from 34-40, verbal being my most variable subject (anywhere from 7-12). I know I can definitely do better in PS and BS and it was probably an off day, I was considering voiding.

I'll be applying for the 2011 cycle, so I can retake the MCAT sometime in January-April.

My question would be, should I take a gap year so that I'll have more time to prepare for the MCAT? Also is limited volunteering okay if I can demonstrate my main desire is to be a physician scientist?

 

[zetabetazeta]

I took the MCAT with 2-3 days of half hearted studying (I was messed up from vicodin, post op from a shoulder procedure). I got a 29 cum, 10 bio 10 ps 9 verbal. I read the average person studies 2-3 months, and the average score is a 24. I know I got some physics and orgo questions wrong bc I haven't taken those classes in 5-6 years(AP classes and summer after HS) . I'm applying to DO schools only. My undergraduate GPA is a 3.2 (very heavy on upper level science courses. Worked 40-100 hours a wk during school=bad GPA) but I have begun a respiratory therapy program and am maintaining a 3.98 (one A- in a one credit course). I also start a MPH program in January (through an osteopathic medical school). I am applying this year, actually today (yes i know its late, a year of my life is worth the money to apply). I have a lot of healthcare experience, good LOR and decent other EC's. A 29 should be fine, but I know if I put some time into it I can improve my score 3-6 points (mostly in the sciences). Do you think its worth it to retake (yes I will study this time)?

You worked 40-100 hours per week? What?! How did you manage to do that? That's unbelievable!